The present invention relates to a system using, e.g., email, and more particularly to a service control system and a computer program used to realize a service, such as maintenance, with respect to a service target machine, e.g., a copy machine on a customer side system, a complex machine, etc., using email from a service side system.
In general, when carrying out a service such as maintenance with respect to a service target machine, e.g., a copying machine or a complex machine, a service agent must go to a site and individually carry it out. Such a service involving service personnel involves a cost and is also complex. Therefore, this is not preferable for a customers.
In order to solve such a problem, there has been developed a system which realizes services through a network, such as the Internet, from a service center.
In this system, however, an excessive burden is imposed on a local area network (LAN) on the customer side when carrying out the service. Further, when there are a plurality of service target machines, the service center must be individually connected to and access a service target machine, which involves labor and complicated processes.